Thunder 108, Mavericks 110-Overtime

Wow, what a game. Tonight the Thunder played a game that for me was one of the most exciting games of the season, and may become a very important game in the young team’s maturation process. The Thunder lost Kevin Durant, the NBA’s 4th leading scorer and go-to guy in the middle of the first quarter, on the road against a good Maverick team that is in the thick of the playoff race, and turned in one of it’s best defensive performances in some time.

This game was almost exhausting to watch, especially the second half and overtime. We were up by twelve with a little over 4 minutes to play, but managed to give it back. We had a 14-2 run in the fourth, followed by Dallas going on a 16-0 run of their own. We were down by five with mere seconds left to play when Westbrook went to the line for three free throws and wound up tying the game up by nailing a corner three after a miss and rebound of his third shot. It was just crazy. The Thunder have now lost 9 games by three points or less, and this one hurt like all the rest, but I was really proud of the hustle and no quit spirit.

When I saw that Kevin Durant went to the locker room with the gimpy ankle I wrote on my notebook ” If Durant doesn’t come back, I predict we have a good night defensively and a terrible night offensively”. Well I was half right. It was a very good night defensively (for the Thunder) especially in light of most of the recent games, but offensively it wasn’t too bad. As you can see, our offensive rating was 106.9, which is above our season average, but below our numbers since the new year (about 110). The league average is about 108.

The offense surprised me. True we only shot 41% on our field goals, but when you consider we took our best shooter (and one of the league’s best) out of the lineup for most of 48 minutes, it’s a wonder we scored 90. The Thunder scrapped their way through a serious slugfest. There were 17 ties and 12 lead changes by my count. The Thunder used some really great ball movement at times to get some shots, and used the drive and kick very well as well. On a corner three by Thabo in the fourth, I ran the DVR back and counted 7 passes on that offensive possession. It worked really well because Thabo was wide open.

The reason why I think this could be a very important game for the Thunder’s maturation process is that it is a very young team with a very young core of players. Durant is out, and he watched his team nearly win this thing without him, by scrapping and getting just enough offense, but playing really good defense. Kevin Durant is definitely our weakest link defensively, and I hope he sat there realizing how much his team needs him to improve in that area for this team to take a step forward. It’s not something we really harp on here in the posts or comments, but the Thunder are 8.46 points per 100 possessions worse on defense when KD is on the court; by far the worst of the rotation players on the team. Another reason why this game may become very important is that I am hopeful that Russell Westbrook figures out that jacking up that many jumpers and driving into a clogged lane doesn’t help the team win. He took 32 FGA’s plus 10 FTA’s in 47 minutes. Durant and Westbrook only average 31 FGA’s combined in regular game. I don’t know what his mindset is, whether he was just trying help fill the scoring vacuum left in Durant’s absence, or if he has the green light or what, but it was really just too much tonight. He helped the team so much, but I fear he hurt us just as much or more. I hope the coaching staff shows him some tape and it becomes a teachable moment for our rookie.

As I mentioned, it was a very good night for the Thunder defensively. We held them to 47% eFG and they average over 50%. As a team the Thunder allow a eFG of 51.8 for the season. We are dead last in the NBA in defensive efficiency in the last 5 games (121 pts/100 allowed). Tonight’s 108.9 was a huge improvement. We tied them up on the boards at 52 each (that’s a lot of rebounds) but we took the edge on the offensive boards 19-15.

Randomness

The Thunder played slow tonight, and only ran very selectively. I thought when KD went out that Brooks might tell them to run at every opportunity but he did just the opposite and had the team go very deliberate and use all the clock.

Dallas is really tricky the way they use Nowitzki. They use Nowitzki as a screener and when our guys go to defend they wind up switching, leaving 7 foot Dirk guarded by anyone except who we want guarding him.

Malik Rose got his first run in the game tonight. It’s been years since I’ve seen him play (how many years has he been buried on the Knicks bench?). He is a really intense and smart (if undersized) defender in the paint. He got right up in Nowitzki and Dampier’s grille. I noticed Nowitzki go 0-3 against Rose on the possessions I caught. Rose was a team leading +10, despite the fact he can’t jump more than 4 or 5 inches off the ground.

Before Durant went out he used a very wicked crossover dribble and almost broke Josh Howard’s ankles.

Dallas’s defense was also very tricky. They would slip in and out of zone coverage with no warning at all. It worked really well in the fourth when Westbrook had back to back turnovers trying to drive.

There were some really weird lineups tonight: Watson, Weaver, Westbrook, Collison and Rose, then Westbrook, Watson, Weaver, Thabo and Green.

Dirk looked so at ease when he is double teamed. He’s probably seen a zillion of them.

There was a fantastic play by the Thunder at the end of the third. JJ Barea hit his second free throw and there was 2 seconds left. Rose took one giant step out of bounds with the ball and heaved it about 75 feet into the arms of Kyle Weaver who had leaked out toward the basket. He made the catch and was fouled and put two free throws on the board and used almost no time to do it. Awesome.

Weaver got his hands on a lot of passes. He was credited with two steals, but he had a lot of deflections.

It’s not a fluke, Thabo is a very good defender.

It’s understandable, but it looked at times like nobody knew what to do with the ball offensively. Nobody not named Jeff Green or Russell Westbrook is able to create offense for themselves, and Westbrook isn’t very good at it when he becomes a jumpshooter.

Some numbers

Russell Westbrook had zero turnovers through three quarters. Then he had three in the fourth and one in overtime.

Overall the 13 turns is pretty good for the Thunder.

We held the Mavs to 35% shooting in the second, and 30% in the third.

The Mavs had only one made three in regulation, then hit three in overtime.

Our newbie Thabo had 12 points and 8 boards tonight in 30 minutes.

Jeff Green the rebound machine. Green has 50 rebounds in his last 4 games.

Westbrook only had 5 assists in 47 minutes. I would much rather him shoot less and pass more if he’s our point guard. However, Earl had 11 assists in 33 minutes and only took five shots. So, I guess, at least RW was shooting so much and Watson was dishing so much that it kept Earl from shooting too often…does that make sense?

Yeah he is like Fortson but is doing it for the team and mostly knows where to stop. Fortson at his best was doing it for the team but often drifted into doing it for his rep or for the joy of being the bad ass.

Hey Crow, I was thinking last night when I saw Malik Rose for the first time in years, how much his first impression reminded me of Danny Fortson from 05. Remember those days. Somewhat short and overweight, but a bull that can't be moved when he is in position. A guy who just looks like he's waiting to put a hurt on the offensive player?

If Presti is going to trade Collison and I think there is a pretty strong chance he will then keeping Smith would make more sense. But Presti probably won't, saving the owners a little money and helping the Cavs will probably influence more than what the numbers say which is that Westbrook, Durant and Green do better than average alongside such a veteran.

Rose might stick as the final big, a junkyard dog, potentially an enforcer on the court and a Presti set of eyes in the locker room, a potential assistant coach. Or maybe Presti is just giving him a final courtesy hurrah after the Spurs dealt him.

@Jax Raging Bile DuctI was thinking the same thing. One thing I've noticed with Russell (and I'm no shooting expert) is that he rushes his shot horribly. Not with his hands and upper body, but with his feet.

He'll be on the dribble and get an opening and instead of taking an extra dribble or picking the ball up in rhythm, it seems he makes his mind up in a split second and pulls and shoots even if his feet are sideways. Just something about seems out of rhythm. He doesn't do it every time, but he did it quite a few times last night.

You nailed everything I was thinking Joe. I am so impressed with Thabo. You can see him working - like WORKING - on the defensive end of the floor. The play where he was in one corner and the Mavs swung it to the other and he got a hand in the shooter's face was incredibly impressive.

And the sequence with seven passes is one of my favorite of the season. It was a huge possession and instead of rushing and taking a bad shot, we worked it, swung it around, got a great look and actually made it. I was proud.

And I haven't watched Malik Rose play in a while either but I can already tell that he actually fits this team better than Chris Wilcox. I realize Rose is just an expiring contract, but you can see he wants to play physical defense and set screens EVERY possession, unlike Wilcox.

I think this:Another reason why this game may become very important is that I am hopeful that Russell Westbrook figures out that jacking up that many jumpers and driving into a clogged lane doesn’t help the team win. He took 32 FGA’s plus 10 FTA’s in 47 minutes.

..and this...It’s understandable, but it looked at times like nobody knew what to do with the ball offensively. Nobody not named Jeff Green or Russell Westbrook is able to create offense for themselves, and Westbrook isn’t very good at it when he becomes a jumpshooter.

... go together.

I think RW knows it's up to him to score when KD is out. Weaver never calls for the ball. Kristic can't post up much. Thabo doesn't call for the ball. Those guys need you to set them up on a pick and pop, or on a cut or low screen. Weaver and Thabo did score from the outside, but that's not their comfort zone. If you watch KD and Jeff Green last year, their shot selection was about the same caliber as those you saw RW shoot last night. If he can improve by next year as much as Jeff and Kevin did last year, he'll be a heck of a player.

I wish I had a dime for every fade away jumper I've seen Dirk hit since I started watching the Mavs back in 2001. One of the things that impresses me about him is that he absolutely knows his spots on the floor. Everyone else does too, yet he always finds a way to get to them.

I was impressed with how Malik defended him. Elsewhere, I've likened Malik to an over-the-hill prizefighter. He may be past his prime, but he knows all the tricks in the book.

I took the average of the Pacers, Bulls and Bucks to see what that looked like and if the Thunder can achieve that next season, near playoffs at least eastern level. (rounding) Pace 94 Offensive efficiency 107. eFG% 49%, 15.5 turnovers, 27.5% OR, 23.5 FT/FG. Defensive efficiency 108, opp eFG% under 50%, 16 opp turnovers, DR nder 27%, 28 opp FT/FG.

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